Kerala Bans Diesel Vehicles Over 2.0-litre and 10 Years

It’s a story of south meets north in India’s automotive quarters. After paving the way for the Supreme Court to ban the registration of all new diesel vehicles with engine displacements of 2000cc and above in Delhi, the National Green Tribunal has now made life miserable for diesel cars in Kerala too.

The NGT’s special circuit branch at Ernakulam has banned the use of diesel vehicles older than 10 years in addition to the blanket ban on 2.0-litre-plus engines. 

The order comes following a hearing on a petition filed by Lawyers' Environmental Awareness Forum (LEAF).

According to the order, a fine of Rs 10,000 will be imposed on the defaulting vehicles if they are seen on the road after 30 days.

The aforementioned petition also alleged that Kochi has earned the reputation of being the most polluted city and that the fate of fast-growing regions in ‘God’s Own Country’ is no different.

Spewing of venomous gases by the old diesel vehicles such as lorries and buses should be immediately curtailed, the petition demanded.

READ: Toyota to halt new investments in India after diesel car ban

As a result of the blanket ban, combined with the monthly car free days and the odd-even rule, Delhi has managed to shrug off the title of the most polluted city in the world.

However, four Indian cities – Gwalior, Allahabad, Patna and Raipur – still featured in the ‘10 most-polluted cities in the world’ list while as many as 22 parked themselves in the top 100. It thus looks unlikely that Kerala is the final stop in this anti-pollution crusade.